| |
Liverpool City Region COVID-19
Updates
... & Important
Emergency Notices ...
YOU
can get daily major and
interesting news updates for the Liverpool City Region on our
free email news service, via signing up on:-
Formby Reporter. If you have any
updates to send in or any views on the posts on here, please
email us to:-
News24@SouthportReporter.Com.
This page last updated on 21
July 2020
LGA responds
to new law to extend homes upwards and relaxing of planning
applications
RESPONDING to new laws
laid in Parliament today which will mean full planning
applications will not be required to demolish and rebuild unused
buildings as homes, and will allow homeowners to add up to 2
additional storeys to their home to create new homes or more
living space, Local Government Association housing spokesman,
Cllr David Renard, said:-
"The planning system is not a barrier to house building with 9
in 10 planning applications approved by Councils. It gives local
communities the power to shape the area they live in and
provides an effective means of balancing the interests of
homeowners and their neighbours. Neighbours have the right to a
say on development and should not be exposed to the potential of
unsightly large scale unsuitable extensions being built
unchallenged and without scrutiny in their communities. Taking
further planning powers away from communities and Councils will
only deprive them of the ability to define the area they live in
and know best. It risks giving developers the freedom to ride
roughshod over local areas with communities having no way of
ensuring they meet high quality standards, provide any
affordable homes as part of the development or ensure supporting
infrastructure such as roads, Schools and Health Services are in
place. It is vital that Councils and local communities have a
voice in the planning process and are able to oversee all local
developments."
Test and trace system "must improve"
ahead of Schools' return, says MP
MP Bill Esterson has
called for an improvement in the Covid-19 test and trace system
to ensure that Schools are safe for a September return. The MP
has been contacted by concerned Teachers and parents, who say
that it has taken too long to put testing in place and that
there have been long waits for results to be returned, which has
had a knock on effect in Schools. Routine testing of staff at
Schools would address this and also pick up those who were not
showing symptoms but could still pass on the infection, said the
MP. As the summer term comes to an end this week, the MP said it
was vital that the Government uses the six-week break to prepare
an effective and responsive testing system in time for the new
term in September. He also called for more support for parents
who may be returning to work after the Coronavirus lockdown and
struggling to find childcare over the summer holidays.
Mr Esterson said:-
"I know that Teachers want to see our children back in School
where they can get the very best education. Children have missed
out, not everyone has been lucky enough to study in full at home
and even for those whose have had full access to the internet
and online learning, it has been far short of what they would
have had in School. The Government should be doing all it can to
help Schools make new arrangements and to make them safely. But
Teachers who have been working in Schools over the lockdown
period have contacted me to say that when there has been a
suspected case in School, it has often taken many days for the
staff member or child to get a test and then more time waiting
to get the result. If you are not able to drive to a testing
site, a test is posted out to you, and some people are waiting
five days or more for the result to come back. While waiting for
results the other Teachers and the children in the bubble are to
continue to attend School as normal. In this time the virus
could be spreading throughout the School. The testing system
must be improved so that where there are infections, the spread
can be stopped as quickly as possible. When we're going to have
30 children in a so called "bubble" in primary Schools, and as
many as 240 in high Schools, it is imperative that we get
results from suspected cases quickly in order to react swiftly
and protect other staff, pupils and family members, who are
often at higher risk of infection. We need to look at what other
countries are doing as well, such as Denmark. Denmark has gone
out of its way to find additional buildings, so children can be
looked after in safer environments. They have put in place
proper test and trace before Schools have gone back. They've
made sure there is proper PPE for staff, and that staff who are
at risk continue to be protected, that children with high risk
family members continue to be protected. We've got to be really
careful how we do this so we don't spread infection. While
children are relatively low risk, and appear to be less likely
to be seriously ill, infections in Schools do run round very
quickly. There is also a significant concern for older family
members and other people who have underlying health problems.
Whole School closures due to the spread of the virus would have
another devastating impact on children's education and to avoid
these we must have an effective testing system. Safety must come
first and Schools are not set up for the kind of distancing that
is needed. You can't have classes of 30 and avoid infection
risk. We've already seen it in Schools in some countries where
children have gone back and they have had outbreaks. We can't
have that. It's got to be done safely, working with head.
Teachers, with School staff, trade unions, with parents and the
local council. The Government must work with everyone involved
and stop doing everything from the centre, which had been 1 of
the problems which has made the outbreak so much worse in the UK
than elsewhere. Teachers in my constituency are calling for
regular testing of all teaching staff as is done in other
sectors, and I support them. I have written to the Education
Secretary to make him aware of these concerns."
The MP also said that parents and children needed more help
during the School Holidays, and he backed the footballer Marcus
Rashford's campaign for meal vouchers to continue through the
break. He said:-
"Labour pushed hard to get free School Meals continued over the
summer, which happily we got and Marcus Rashford's involvement
was crucial for ensuring the change of heart by the Government.
Holiday provision and clubs for children to go to are really
important if people want to go to work. There have been gaps in
the support available, and it's been difficult for families to
get the support they need, whether it is free School meals
vouchers or wider support, such as with childcare. If people are
struggling, they can always contact me direct and my staff will
help them. Talk to the School and the council and by all means
email me and I will try to find someone to help."
If you want to pass your thoughts on to Bill Esterson MP on this
topic, he can be contacted by emailing:-
Bill.Esterson.MP@Parliament.UK.
Total UK cases COVID-19 cases - update for Liverpool City Region
and surroundings
THE total number of UK
Coronavirus (COVID-19) infections that have been laboratory
confirmed, within the UK, has risen by
445 cases and the total
number now stand at
295,817, that includes tests carried out by
commercial partners which are not included in the 4 National
totals.
Daily number of COVID-19 associated UK fatalities added to the
total, was sadly reported to be
110 according to the Department
of Health. The total number of deaths of people who have had a
positive test result confirmed by a Public Health or NHS
laboratory is
45,422.
In England, there are a total of 254,519 confirmed cases. North
West - total of 44,410 confirmed cases. The number of laboratory
confirmed cases within the following Local Authorities, in and
around the Liverpool City Region are as follows:-
► Liverpool, 2,485 confirmed cases.
► Sefton, 1,544 confirmed cases.
► Wirral, 2,047 confirmed cases.
► St. Helens, 1,197 confirmed cases
► Halton, 695 confirmed cases.
► Blackpool, 1,035 confirmed cases.
► Blackburn with Darwen, 1,205 confirmed cases.
Under local lockdown
warning
► Bolton, 1,915 confirmed cases.
► Bury, 1,304 confirmed cases.
► Cheshire West and Chester, 2,007 confirmed cases.
► Cheshire East, 2,225 confirmed cases.
► Lancashire, 6,892 confirmed cases.
► Manchester, 3,047 confirmed cases.
► Oldham, 1,930 confirmed cases.
► Rochdale, 1,763 confirmed cases.
► Stockport, 1,663 confirmed cases.
► Tameside, 1,547 confirmed cases.
► Trafford, 1,291 confirmed cases.
► Wigan, 2,148 confirmed cases.
Previous 24hr Data
PLEASE
ALSO SEE OUR WEEKLY EDITION...
Published weekly, as normal...
Click
here
to see it!
|
External links are selected
and reviewed when the page is published. However we are not
responsible for the content of external websites and links might
change. If you find a problem, please report it to us.
|
|
|